Hall of Famer Martina Hingis reaches World Number 1 in Doubles
For the 7th time in her Hall of Fame career, Martina Hingis is ranked world No.1 in doubles. She shares the ranking with her partner, Sania Mirza.
"It's a really nice feeling having that No.1 ahead of your name," Hingis said after the final in Sydney on Friday. "It's definitely something I was aiming for, and with Sania I felt like I had the opportunity to get there. When she became No.1 in Charleston I was just as happy as when I did it myself.
"Being the No.1 team for the last 10 months - we've proven it with two Slams and the WTA Finals in Singapore - we definitely belong there. It was just a question of time to get that No.1 ranking."
Hingis was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2013, in recognition of an extraordinary career during which was the world No. 1 singles player for 209 non-consecutive weeks and the No. 1 doubles player for 35 non-consecutive weeks. She is one of just six players in tennis history to have been ranked No. 1 in singles and doubles simultaneously (the others being Martina Navratilova, Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, Lindsay Davenport, Kim Clijsters, and Serena Williams). Earlier this year, Hingis was named Global Brand Ambassador for the Hall of Fame.
She will now begin her 36th career week at the top of the doubles rankings, while Mirza earns her 41st.
"I'm so happy for her that 16 years later she's become No.1 again!" Mirza, who first rose to No.1 last April, commented. "But regardless of what the ranking was, we were the No.1 team in the world. I'm so happy that we're together now not just as the No.1 team, but as individuals as well."
Hingis first climbed to the doubles No.1 ranking in 1998 at the age of 17 - she most recently held the top spot in March 2000, nearly 16 years ago.
Hingis' first 35 weeks at No.1 in doubles came in six stints, from June 8 to August 2, 1998 (8 weeks), August 17 to October 25, 1998 (10 weeks), November 2 to 22, 1998 (3 weeks), June 7 to July 4, 1999 (4 weeks), August 2 to 22, 1999 (3 weeks) and January 31 to March 19, 2000 (7 weeks).
